,
11 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
OK, I just can't handle this. Our challenges are "the greatest in living memory"? Get over yourselves, kiddos.
You want a list of way worse challenges within living memory? Because that's what you're going to get....
You want a list of way worse challenges within living memory? Because that's what you're going to get....
OK, so in living memory, there was a massive war involving all of Europe and dragging in America. The war brought on an influenza epidemic that killed 50-100 million--out of a much smaller global population.
This was followed by political chaos that encouraged the rise of totalitarian ideologies, then a global economic collapse that peaked with 25% unemployment in the US. But don't worry, that all ended with....another World War.
So then because the First World War wasn't awful enough, we had a second one that was even bigger, with America fighting on two fronts. But that was OK because we had "wartime prosperity," as evidenced by...rationing.
Oh, and while this was happening, the Holocaust killed six million Jews and at least six million other persecuted people (depending on how you count).
But World War II ended well with...the invention and use of nuclear weapons.
But World War II ended well with...the invention and use of nuclear weapons.
After that the world was constantly on the brink of annihilating war, and nearly half the global population lived in the thrall of brutal totalitarian regimes, so bad that people got on rickety boats or climbed over barbed-wire fences and risked getting shot to escape.
The level of war and terror was somewhat lower than in World War II, which is small comfort if you were trapped in, say, Cambodia. But we literally lay in bed at night--I'm just old enough to remember this--wondering if someone would start a global nuclear war.
Oh, and for all this time, there was more poverty, hunger, disease, and yes, pollution, than there is now. Plus, a portion of the US population was legally deprived of civil rights, separated from mainstream society, and treated with open contempt just because of their race.
I'm just hitting the lowlights here.
Against that, we have...global temperature might rise a few degrees in the next century. If some highly inaccurate computer models are right.
Sorry, folks, that doesn't even register by the standards of the 20th Century.
Against that, we have...global temperature might rise a few degrees in the next century. If some highly inaccurate computer models are right.
Sorry, folks, that doesn't even register by the standards of the 20th Century.
Maybe global warming is happening. (I'm skeptical.) Maybe our democracy is being subverted by...Russians buying a few ads on Facebook.
But we can deal with it. We are way better equipped to deal with all of these problem than we have been in all of history.
But we can deal with it. We are way better equipped to deal with all of these problem than we have been in all of history.
So when a politician tries to hit us up with rhetoric about fake emergencies or fake narratives of decline, that's the first sign he's just conning you so he can get into power and push some pre-determined agenda.
Here endeth the rant. For now.
Here endeth the rant. For now.
